2010 budget focuses on maintenance

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A BULK of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) budget for next year will go towards back to basics maintenance.

Its president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan said they have allocated 58.5% or RM116.5mil for road patching, repairing streetlights and cleaning works.

Clogged: The MPSJ will focus more on maintenance of basic amenities like cleaning drains.

Adnan said the 2010 budget would focus on these programmes: back to basics, health, youth and welfare. The MPSJ’s projected expenses for next year are as follows: 20% or RM39.8mil for emolument (staff salary), 16.8% or RM33.5mil administration (office operations), 58.5% or RM116.5mil back to basic maintenance (road patching, repairing street lights, cleaning works), and 4.6% or RM9.2mil development per se (new roads and parks).

“The council has also included in its 2010 budget a RM350,000 allocation to build a crematorium in Puchong,” he said.

“As part of its CSR initative, the MPSJ will have a poverty eradication fund for human development activities, and a natural disaster fund as a contingency plan,” Adnan added.

Each of the 24 JKP Zones in the MPSJ would be allocated RM100,000, which the JKP committee members have to budget based on use for infrastructure and landscaping, community activities and management.

The MPSJ’s 2010 budget has been submitted to the state government, but has yet to receive the latter’s approval at press time.

Meanwhile, Adnan said the council has estimated that its revenue would amount to RM201mil for next year, compared to the projected RM195mil this year.

While the revenue from assessment tax is estimated to increase by RM6mil next year, the additional revenue is projected to come from rental collection (RM1.6mil) and collection from government agencies (RM6mil).

However, the MPSJ has also budgeted a decrease in revenue from service charges (RM4.6mil) and fines/ penalties (RM2.2mil).

“We’ve been able to collect about 90% of this year’s revenue as of the end of October,” said Adnan at the MPSJ JKP Seminar 2009 last month, which was attended by MPSJ councillors and Residents’ Committee (JKP) representatives.

StarMetro spoke to several MPSJ councillors and an assemblyman to get their comments on the MPSJ’s 2010 budget.

MPSJ councillor and JKP Zone 3 chairman Rajiv Rishyakaran

Rajiv said that the 2010 budget is more or less on the same track as 2009, except for the landmark decision to create a provision for a crematorium.

“However, I was hoping that there would be attempts to reduce administrative expenses in next year’s budget.”

Rajiv agreed with Adnan’s announcement with the focus on “back to basics” and welfare.

“If we don’t get the basics - roads, drains, street lights and rubbish collection — done right, the other things that we do won’t be well received and appreciated.

“As for welfare, I agree that as a government we should be there for those in need. While it’s not much at the moment, at least we have started,” he said.

He said the JKP Zone 3 members had been briefed on the budget, and commented on the estimated 38% that would be spent on garbage collection, which is too high, and that more should be allocated for parks and infrastructure maintenance.

On the zone allocation, Rajiv said the RM100,000 is divided into three categories: RM3,000 for administrative costs, RM17,000 for community activities and RM80,000 for small projects.

“For this year, JKP Zone 3 carried out a few projects, namely installing air-conditioning for our only community hall at USJ2, and building several new infrastructure.

“They are two pedestrian bridges over monsoon drains in USJ12 and USJ13, one futsal court in USJ11, an outdoor gym at USJ13, and a reflexology path for USJ3C.

“The zone allocation next year will be mainly for park upgrading purposes,” he said.

MPSJ councillor and JKP Zone 1 chairman Theresa Ratnam Thong

While noting that it is good that the MPSJ’s 2010 budget is focusing on “back to basics”, Thong said there is a need to ensure that the appointed contractors carry out the works with due diligence and not short-changing the council or people.

On the zone allocation, Thong stressed that not all the money is transferred to each JKP’s account.

“The RM3,000 per annum for the JKP’s administrative work will be banked in directly, while the RM17,000 per annum is for community events organised by the JKP, which will be banked into the JKP’s account per half year,” she said.

“While the RM80,000 for small projects are identified by the respective JKP’s and recommended to the MPSJ, this money is dispersed directly to the contractors by the MPSJ and does not come into JKP’s account.”

MPSJ councillor and JKP Zone 2 chairman Chia Yew Ken

Chia said the 2010 budget was definitely better compared to the previous year, as a surplus budget is one that is proposed by the state government.

“The main functions of a local authority do not stray away from roads, drains and garbage collection,” he said.

“I would also like to suggest that the future budgets prioritise the following: resurfacing all roads based on a seven- to eight-year cycle, and installing new drains every 15 years.”

While he welcomed the suggestions for the poverty eradication and natural disaster funds, Chia said it requires the cooperation of the state government to be able to eradicate poverty.

“Guidelines and records, including observations and residential surveys, need to be formed so the funds can be channelled to those who are truly in need and to ensure fairness to the victims,” he said.

Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh

Yeoh felt that despite the focus on going “back to basics”, there is not much difference in terms of the amount allocated for infrastructure, which is still minimal compared to their revenue.

She disagreed with the high costs allocated for the MPSJ’s vehicles, which amounted to almost RM1mil for petrol, and RM3mil for maintenance.

“The MPSJ should minimise on not so important items like the printing of bulletin items (RM200,000) and open house expenditure (RM600,000), which is a lot of money.

“The maintenance of parks, which the council has budgeted for RM9 million, should be given more focus,” said Yeoh.

Yeoh said that the RM1mil allocated for health-related issues like dengue and rats is insufficient, because this has implications on life and death, while the RM2mil allocated for the council’s libraries should come under the state library’s purview to allow the MPSJ to focus on its delivery system.

“There are no provisions for pedestrian bridges. I think construction of each new school in the future should come with funds for a pedestrian bridge, especially if it is built along major roads,” she said.